Implement for applying and clenching fence-wire clamps.



PATENTBD MAY 5,

G. H. WRIGrHI.v IMPLEMENT FOR APPLYING AND GLENGHIMNG FENCE WIRE GLAMPS.

No. 727,527. I lPATBNTBD MAY 5, 1903.

G. H. WRIG Y IMPLEMBNT PoR APPLYING AND GLEN NG FENCE WINE GLAMPS.

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IINTTED STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

GEORGE HENRY WRIGHT, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

IMPLEMENT FOR APPLYING AND CLENCHlNG FENCE-WIRE CLAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,527, dated May 5,1903.

Application filed'April 28, 1902. Serial No. 105,004. (No model-l To @ZZwhom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, GEORGE HENRY WRIGHT,`

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Spokane, in the countyof Spokane and State of Washington, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Implements for Applying and Clenching Fence-Wire Clamps,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. p

My invention relates to implements or toolsA especially adapted to thework of applying and clenching sheet-metal fasteners or clamps to thecrossing wires of fences orV the like; and one object that I have inviewis the provision of a simple, compact, and efficient device which may beoperated easily and quickly to bend or clench the fastener aroundV thewires and to bend the wires'themselves at the point of intersection.

A further object is to so construct the parts forming the tool that theclamp or fastener may easily be placed in the tool, and by a slightmovement of the bending-jaws the said clamp or fastener is seized bysaid jaws, so as to be securely held in the implement, thus enabling theclamp to be brought by the implement into position adjacent to the wiresfor attachment thereto by the subsequent operation of said implement.

A further object is the provision of novel forms of bending-jaws adaptedto not only seize the clamp, but to bend or tuck parts of the latteraround the wire at the beginning of the closing movement of the jaws.

A further object is to provide the imple-` ment with means for holdingit against relative displacement on the wires during the operation ofbending the clamp by the closing movement of the jaws, said holdingmeans being adapted for engagement with a linewire and being operablewith the jaws, so as to open for the ready application of the implementto the line-wire.

Vith these ends in view the invention consists in the combination,construction, and arrangementof parts, which will be hereinafter fullydesvcribed,and the actual scope of the invention will be defined by theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specication, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of an implementor tool for clenching aclamp or fastener tothe meeting wires of a fence as contemplated by thepresentinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the implement with thejaws Iin an ,open position. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of theAimplement with its parts in the position shown by Fig.A 2. Fig. 4 isanother side elevation with the jaws in the closed position. Fig. 5 is atransverse sectional view taken through the 'anvil-block in the plane ofone of the rocking bolts, t-o be hereinafter more fully described, theplane of the section being indicated by the dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 2.Fig. 6 is a side elevation of my improved implement, illustrating aclamp or fastener in position to be bent by the jaws thereof; and Fig. 7is a detail perspective view of the fastener applied to the crossingWires of a fence.

5 designates an anvil-block, which is made of a single solid piece ofsteel or any other suitable material. This block is recessed atits"'diagonally opposite corners, as indicated at A6 6a in'Fig. 3, andthe block is further provided with the longitudinal cavity or socket 7and with the notches 8 9. The cavity or socket 7 extends across thetransverse center of the anvil-block, and the end portions of thiscavity overlap the inner ends of the recesses 6 6. The notches 8 9 aredisposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the cavity or.socket 7, and said notches lie adjacent to the inner closed ends of therecesses 6 6a, all as will be more clearly understood by reference toFigs. l and 3.

lO and l1 designate the rocking bolts or arbors, which are looselyfitted in opposite end portions of the anvil-block, so that one'arborwill extend through one of the recessed or cut-out portions of theblock. v

12 13 designate bending-jaws, which are made integral with the arms 12aand 13a, respectively, said arms formingthe handles or levers of theimplement. The bending-jaws are made fast with the rocking bolts orarbors l0 1l, respectively, and this end is attained by providing eacharbor with a polygonal shouldered portion 14, adapted to fit into acorrespondingly-shaped opening 15, which is provided in one of the jaws.The bendingjaws or their arms are fitted in the recessed portions 6 6 ofthe anvil-block, so that the jaws will be pivotally connected to thediagonally opposite corners of said anvil-block, and the jaws arecurved, as shown by Figs. 1, 2, and 4, so as to face or extend inwardlytoward each other. Each jaw is provided with a curved or overhangingportion which forms a beak 16, and in the free extremity of this beak isproduced a notch 1.7. The notched beaks of the two jaws lie in opposingrelation to the notched side portions 8 and 9 of the anvil-block, andsaid jaws when closed are adapted to traverse or move across the notchedportions of the anvil-block. Said notched portions of the anvil-blockconstitute the seats for the Yside wings and -the lips of the clamp orfastener which is adapted to be set by the operation of the improvedimplement; but I have not considered it necessary to show this clamp orfastener in the present application, because it constitutes thesubject-matter of a separate application filed by me on the 12th day ofMarch, 1902, serially numbered 97,831.

In the operation of applying the clamp or fastener to the crossing wiresof a fence I have found it desirable to provide the implement with somemeans which are adapted to engage with the line-wire, so as to assist inholding the implement in proper position relative to said line-wireduring the clenching of the fastener by the closing movement of thejaws. Obviously the tool holding or retainingmeans should be capable ofoperation so as to readily open for adjustment or application to theline-wire, and I have therefore provided a pair of holding-jaws whichare movable with the bending-jaws and are adapted to engage with theline-wire in advance of the bending of the fastener around the crossingwires. are indicated by the numerals 18 19, and they are mounted on therocking bolts or arbors 10 11, respectively. The jaws are provided withangular or polygonal openings 20, adapted to receive thecorrespondingly-shaped angular portions 21 of the bolts or arbors, andthus the retaining-jaws are made fast with the respective bolts, so asto turn with the bending-jaws when the handles are opened and closed.The jaw 18 is disposed on the opposite side of the anvil-block 5 fromthe bending-jaw 12, although these two jaws are will be apparent thatthe bending-jaws lie at diagonally opposite corners of the anvil-blockand the retaining-jaws are similarly disposed at the remaining` cornersof the anvil-block, the relative arrangement of the parts being moreclearly indicated by Figs. 1 and 3.

These holding or retaining jaws solid or non-recessed corners of theanvilblock, so that they will occupy positions out of line with thebending-jaws, which lie in opposing relation thereto, this offsetposition of the retaining-jaws being shown more clearly by Fig. 3. Anysuitable construction may be adopted in order to secure thisdisalinement in the relation of the retaining-jaws to the bending-jaws;but, as shown by the drawings, the

retaining-jaws are provided with the enlargements 22, which lie next tothe side faces of the anvil-block. It is evident that suitable washersmay be employed or that the side faces of the anvil-block may be offset,the same forming an equivalent construction.

As shown by the drawings, each bolt or arbox` 10 or11 has two polygonalor angular portions and an integral head portion. The round partof thebolt or arbor extends through the anvil-block, whereas the angularportions 14 21 lie on opposite sides of the anvil-block in order toreceive the bending-jaw and the retaining-jaw, and, finally, the headedportion of the bolt or arbor lies against the bendring-jaw, while thethreaded extremity of the bolt receives the nut adapted to bind againstthe retaining-jaw. (See Fig. 5.)

I prefer to equip the implement with means for guiding the handles andjaws in their opening and closing movements. Asuitable form ofconstruction for this purpose is the curved arm 23, which is made fastwith one of the handles and is provided with a longitudinal order thatthe body portion of the clamp will occupy the recess or socket 7, whilethe side wings or lips of the clamp will fit in or to the seats affordedby the notches 8 9. In placing the clamp A in the implement the jaws 1213 should be closed slightly in order that the notches 17 in the beaksof said bending-jaws IOO IIO

will engage with the outwardly-extending lips Ct of the clamp, as shownby Fig. 7, whereby the bending-jaws are adapted to confine the clampagainst the face of the anvil-block and the implement may easily beplaced in position, with the clamp attached thereto. Having fitted thefastener to the jaws and anvilblock of the tool, the operator now bringsthe parts into position opposite to the crossing wires of the fence, theline-wire passing through the space between the jaws 1213 and the otherpair of jaws 18 19, said wire extending across that part of the fastenerwhich occupies the seats 8 9. In closing the handles of the tool theretaining-jaws 18 19 move in advance of the notched beaks of theYbending-jaws, because the bolts or arbors 10 11 are turned by themovement of the handles, and thus the retaining-jaws will engage withthe line-wire in a manner to prevent accidental displacement of theimplement during the operation of bending the parts ofthe clamp aroundthe crossing wires. At the same time that the handles are closedtogether, so as to make the retaining-jaws close upon the line-wire, thebending-jaws 12 13 become active for the purpose of forcing theoutwardly-extending portions of the clamp or fastening around theline-wire, and the clamp is so forcibly applied to the wires that theline and stay wires will become bent and interlocked at their points ofintersection simultaneously with the application of the fastenerthereto. After the operation ot bending the fastener shall have beencompleted the handles are opened and the arbors are rocked, therebyspreading the two pairs of jaws, so as to disengage the retaining-jawsfrom the line-wire and the bending-jaws from the attached fastener, thuspermitting the implement to be easily withdrawn from the work.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings I have shown the clamp A applied to thecrossing wires B C of a fence. This clamp, as hereinbefore indicated,consists of a body portion and two arms or lips, said body portionengaging with one of the wires, as B, while the arms or lips a a arebent or doubled around the intersecting wire C.

Having thusy described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. An implement of the class described, comprising ananvil-block provided with a cavity and with seats on opposite sides ofsaid cavity, bending-jaws on said anvil-block at the diagonally oppositecorners thereof and arranged to traverse the seats thereon, andretaining-jaws movable with said bendingjaws relatively to theanvil-block.

2. An implement of the class described, comprising an anvil-block havinga cavity and seats disposed on opposite sides of the cavity, andbending-jaws pivoted to said anvil-block at diagonally opposite cornersthereof, and disposed in facing relation and arranged to traverse theseats on said block.

An implement of the class described, comprising an anvil-block havingrecesses in its diagonally opposite corners and a cavity which isdisposed in overlapping relation to said recesses, and bending-jawsfulcrumed in said recessed portions of the anvil-block.

4. An implement of the class described, comprising an anvil-block havingrecesses, a cavity and seats adjacent to said recesses and on oppositesides of the cavity, and bendingjaws disposed in the recessed portionsof the anvil-block and arranged to traverse the seats thereof.

5. An implement of the class described, comprising an anvil-block,suitable bendingjaws attached thereto, and movable retaining-jawsactuated by the opening and closing movements of said bending-jaws.

6. An implement of the class described, comprising an anvil-block,bending-jaws attached thereto, and retaining-jaws movable with saidbending-jaws, and having their active ends disposed in advance of thecorrespending ends of the bending-jaws.

7. An implement of the class described, having an anvil-block,bending-jaws provided with notched free ends and connected to saidanvil-block so as to lie in opposing ref lation, and movableretaining-jaws disalined relative to the bending-jaws and actuated by gthe opening and closing movements thereof.

8. An implement of the class described, comprising an anvil-block,rocking arbors mounted in said block, bending-jaws having handles andattached to the respective arbors to turn the latter, and retaining-jawsattached to the arbors for actuation thereby.

GEORGE HENRY WRIGHT.

Witnesses:-

JoHN S. STUFF, E. DEMrsIE.

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